Easel



Dec :0 4,1923. I

H. PALAIS EASEL Filed April 9 1923 Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES HARRY PALAIS, OF BQSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

EASEL.

Application. filed April 9, 1923. Serial No. 680,921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY PALAIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ease-ls; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in easels and more particularly to those which are stamped from sheet material and are designed primarily for supporting advertising or display cards, calendars and the like, the.

object being to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive device of this character provided with novel means for locking a rearwardly foldable wing in proper position to support the card or the like to which the easel is attached.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of easel showing the same attached to a card before folding to an operative condition.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the manner in which the easel is held in condition for operation.

Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but illustrating a more simple form of construction.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 1 designates a substantially triangular piece of cardboard or other sheet material which is divided by vertical score lines 2, into a central attaching portion 8 and a pair of side wingsd, said portion 3 being adapted to be glued or otherwise secured to a card or the like 5, while the wings 4 are intended to be folded rearwardly as shown in Fig. 2, to support the card in an inclined position.

A locking tongue 6 is cut principally from the attaching portion 3 and has its vertical edges 7 disposed substantially on the hinge lines 2 of the wings 4, the lower end of said tongue being connected with said portion 3 and being scored on the connecting line 8, whereby to facilitate downward and rearwardfolding of said tongue in a manner to be hereinafter described.

A pair of substantially rectangular tabs 9 are formed, integrally with the upper corners of the tongue 6 and said tabs extend both outwardly and upwardly from said tongue, the inner edges 10 of their upwardly extending portions being disposed substantially on the hinge lines 2. Y

A pair of outwardly and downwardly curving slots 11 are formed in the wings 4:

and the upper ends of these slots are occupied by the tabs 9, the inner edges 12 of said 7 slots being formed on the same lines with the lower edges 18 of the tabs while the outer edges 14 of the slots are disposed the same distance from the folding line'8, as the upper end 15 of the tongue 6.

The easel is manufactured in fiat form shown in Fig. 1 and in such form, the at taching portion 3 may be secured to the card or the like to be supported, taking care however that the tongue 6 is not secured. \Vhen the easel is to be positioned for use, its wings at are folded rearwardly on the hinge lines 2 which will leave the tabs 9 projecting outwardly beyond said wings. These tabs are then gripped and by means of them, the tongue 6 is swung rearwardly and downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that the inner edges 13 of the tabs 9 engage the inner edges 12 of the slots 11, that the upper ends 15 of the tongue 6 contact with the outer edges of the slots 11, and that the inner edges 10 of the tabs 9, contact with the outer sides of the wings 4. Thus, the easel is effectively held in operative condition.

In the preferred form of construction, the inner edges 12-of the slots 11 are of fluted or zig-Zag form to provide teeth 16 for engagement with thelower edges 13 of the tabs 9. Similar teeth may if desired be formed on the outer edges 14 of the slots 11, which will be understood without illustration.

In Figs. '3 and 1, I have shown a more simple form of constructionin which only one wing 4 is connected on a hinge line 2 with an attaching portion 3. A relatively lon and narrow lockin ton ue 6 havin a t: h b L) tab 9 is stamped from the continuous portions of the wing i and the attaching portion 8 and the former is provided with a slot 11, whose upper end is occupied by said tab. The construction is so similar to that depicted in Figs. 1 and 2 that further description is unnecessary.

Excellent results have been obtained from the details disclosed, both from the standpoints of manufacture and use. These details are therefore preferably followed, butwithin the scope of the invention as claimed, minor changes may of course be made.

I claim:

1. An easel formed of sheet material and comprising a vertical portion for contact with an article to be supported and a wing portion adapted to be folded rearwardly from said vertical portion on a vertical hinge line. a rearwardly and downwardly foldable locking tongue out principally from said vertical portion and having a vertical edge located substantially on said hinge line. said tongue having an integral upwardly and outwardly extending tab cut from said wing portion with its inner edge located substantially on said hinge line, said wing portion having an outwardly and down wardly curved slot whose upper end is occupied by said tab, said slot having its 1nner edge on the same line as the lower edge of said tab and having its outer edge spaced from the folding line of said tongue. a distance equal to the vertical length of said tongue; said lower edge of said tab being engageable with said inner edge of the slot when the wing is folded rearwardly and the tongue folded downwardly, at which time, the upper end of said tongue contacts with the outer edge of said slot and the inner edge of said tab contacts with the outer face of the aforesaid wing portion.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; at least one edge of said slot hiring teeth formed thereon for the purpose specified In testimony whereof I have'hereunto afiixed my signature.

HARRY PALAIS. 

